A Very Grinchy Christmas
by GroversCSI
Summary: Catherine throws a party......written with Xant.....PLEASE REVEIW! Chapter 9 up FINISHED
1. Whoville

Title: A Very Grinchy Christmas Authors: Ash and Xant Legal fluff: We don't own the people, we are just barrowing for a bit....please don't sue! Summary: Catherine throws a Christmas party, with a little twist..... Spoilers: None that we are aware of.... Notes:  
This is the first fic that we have written together, plus for both of us this is only the second story that we have written! So please do review, but be gentle....us newbies are very fragile. We hope that you all enjoy reading it, as much as we are having fun writing it!! ~Ash and Xant  
  
A Very Grinchy Christmas  
  
Chapter One: Whoville  
  
The words "Merry Christmas" greeted Sara as she walked into the CSI building. "Oh no," she groaned to herself, "It's started already." The festive season did not rate highly in the world of Sara Sidle. She could not quite comprehend how for one month, seemingly normal human beings turned into a bunch of present buying, decoration hanging, carol singing, good willing, lunatics.  
  
It wasn't as though Christmas as a child had been bad for her, it was just that it hadn't been a big song and dance. As a family, they had always had a rather quiet day. They exchanged small gifts, that had usually been handmade and enjoyed a modest meal but that had been it. No fanfare, no hoopla, just a quiet day with family.  
  
She continued down the hall to the now very festive break room. Catherine had attacked it earlier with lights and a tree, complete with tinsel and a few ornaments that people had made and placed on it.  
  
"There you are Sara! I wanted to talk to you about what you have planned on Christmas Eve," Catherine said as she continued to string lights around the windows.  
  
Sara gave the newly strung lights a dark glare as if it were somehow their fault that they now decorated the room. "I don't know yet, why do you ask?" she asked suspiciously. She had a feeling that Catherine was going to ask her to do something and she knew it was probably something that she didn't want to.  
  
"Well I'm throwing a little Christmas party, at my house. Just for the graveyard shift, and Greg of course. You'll be there, right?" Catherine asked.  
  
"Well you see I would and all.but.with all of you gone.ah.someone has to work, and I volunteer for the job. I know not many people like to work that day, but the dead people don't stop dying just because we're not here. What can you do?" Sara said giving a shrug of her shoulders, inwardly congratulating herself for coming up with a way out.  
  
"I'll tell you what you can do, you can think of another excuse! Day shift is covering for us, so everyone is free to come to the party," Catherine said smugly. "Oh.and by the way," she added as she walked towards the door, "It's a costume party with a Christmas theme. If you arrive without a costume, one will be supplied for you at the door."  
  
Sara watched her disappear from the room and slid slowly into a nearby chair, letting her head fall on the table with a smack. "Great. Not only do I have to go to a party, I have to dress up. Goody for me," she muttered forlornly.  
  
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After walking through all the Christmas decorations, Grissom dove into the safety of his office. He was proud that so far he had managed to keep all decorations and signs of Christmas out of his office. However, that moment of pride was broken when Catherine burst into his office holding several strands of Christmas lights.  
  
"Damn, I was hoping to beat you here," said Catherine with a smile.  
  
"Sorry to disappoint you Catherine," Grissom smiled back. "By the way, Christmas decorations are off limits in my office. You have free reign in the break room, the locker room and wherever else your little heart desires, but stay away from my office," Grissom told her with a slight growl in his voice.  
  
Catherine laughed at her boss, "Don't get your shorts in a twist Gil, these aren't for you. I was on my way to help Greg get 'festive'. The thought of trying to make your office Christmassy is too big of a challenge, even for me."  
  
"My shorts, as you put it, are just fine," huffed Grissom. "Is there anything I can actually do for you Catherine or did you just drop by to make comments about my underwear?"  
  
"Boy, someone woke up on the wrong side of Christmas, didn't they," teased Catherine. "As a matter of fact I do have a reason for dropping by. I just wanted to let you know that you will be attending a party at my house on Christmas Eve, so don't make any other plans," she ordered.  
  
Pursing his lips together, Grissom sighed dramatically, "Catherine, you and I both know that I have to work that night. So, I'm afraid I won't be able to make it to your little soiree."  
  
"Oh." said Catherine as a smile began to form on her face, making Grissom feel somewhat uneasy. "Didn't Cavallo tell you? I was sure you would have received his memo by now. This year our shift has been given Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off, so you have no excuse."  
  
"But...I.how." Grissom stuttered, trying to think of some reasonable excuse to miss the party.  
  
"Save it Gil," Catherine interrupted "Just be at my house on Christmas Eve, dressed in your favorite Christmas costume. If you don't have a costume, you will be completely at Lindsey's mercy until she leaves for her sleepover. And trust me, she has ideas," Catherine grabbed her lights and hurried off to the DNA lab before Grissom could protest any more.  
  
As soon as Catherine had left, Grissom began to search his desk frantically for the memo that stated he got the time off. Finding it buried under stacks of paper and some chocolate crickets, he read it and sighed. 'Guess I should read these once in a while,' he thought to himself.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Catherine smiled to herself as she grabbed a bowl in the break room and sat down at the table with some scraps of paper and a pen. A few days ago, she had devised a plan to put an end to the uncomfortable situation that was 'Sara and Grissom's relationship', or lack there of at the moment. She had already effected phases one and two of her plan and was about to move on to phase three.  
  
After scribbling on several pieces of paper, she placed them in the bowl and went to the layout room in search of Sara. Finding her there, she announced her entrance, "There you are Sara! I was beginning to think that you were hiding from me or something."  
  
"Why Catherine, I would never hide from you!" Sara said with a grin on her face.  
  
"Didn't think so," Catherine grinned back. "Anyway it's time to draw and decide who's secret Santa you are going to be."  
  
"Secret what?" asked Sara, looking confused.  
  
Catherine looked at her in amazement. "You know, secret Santa, draw a name out of the bowl and then you have to buy a present for that person." She shook the bowl in Sara's direction. "Come on, take your pick."  
  
Sara rolled her eyes, knowing that it was useless to argue, Catherine was the Christmas fairy from hell. She reached into the bowl and shuffled the papers around a bit, finally grabbing one. Her face fell as she opened it up and read the name. "Um..Catherine..I think I better redraw," she said with a pleading look.  
  
"Sorry Sara, no can do, you get who you grabbed!" smiled Catherine, as she turned and left.  
  
'Great, my day just keeps getting better,' Sara thought to herself. 'Now I have a party, a costume AND a present for Grissom.' For the second time that night, her head landed on the table with a thud.  
  
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On her way to Grissom's office, Catherine made a stop in the restroom. Stepping into the stall, she emptied the remaining pieces of the paper into the toilet and flushed. She smiled as she saw five little names whirl around in the water before being sucked under, five little names which all read 'Gil Grissom'.  
  
She reached into her pocket and pulled out six more pieces of paper, this time all reading 'Sara Sidle'. With an evil grin, she placed them into the secret Santa bowl and exited the restroom. 'Okay, off to find my next victim.I mean drawer!' She wiped the smile off her face as she stepped into Grissom's office.  
  
"Ok Gil, your turn to draw." Catherine said as she waved the secret Santa bowl under Grissom's nose.  
  
"What now Catherine?" he asked resignedly.  
  
"Just draw a name out of the bowl. You then become the Secret Santa of that person and have to buy them a present," Catherine explained.  
  
He regarded her with mild interest, peering over the rim of his glasses. Catherine shook the bowl once more in his direction, grinning madly. With the largest sigh he could muster, Grissom reached into the bowl, and after a few minutes of rustling around, pulled out a piece of paper. Unfolding it, he read it to himself, 'Sara Sidle'. Grissom looked at Catherine and opened his mouth in protest.  
  
Catherine was one step ahead of him, "Sorry Gil, don't even try, no redraws."  
  
Grissom snapped his mouth shut, as he silently came to terms with his predicament.  
  
"Any who," said Catherine, interrupting his thoughts "I have to go find everyone else and let them draw. I'm sure they'll be a little more enthusiastic about it." Walking once more into the restroom stall, she flushed the remaining evidence of her duplicity into the Las Vegas sewerage system. 'Man I'm good,' she silently congratulated herself.  
  
She pulled four more pieces of paper from her pocket and dropped them into the bowl with the remaining four members names on them. She laughed quietly to herself as she walked out of the restroom and went in search of the guys.  
  
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	2. PoohPooh to the Whos!

Chapter 2: Pooh-Pooh to the Whos!  
  
Sara wandered aimlessly up and down the isles of the costume shop, looking for something that was suitably "Christmassy". As she looked at yet another pair of angel wings, she silently cursed Catherine and her festive ideas. What was with the whole fancy dress theme anyway, wasn't it enough that she had to attend the party in the first place. "Paybacks can be a bitch, Catherine," she mumbled quietly.  
  
Sara's thoughts were interrupted by a shrill voice behind her, "I'm sorry I didn't quite catch that, can I help you?"  
  
Sara turned around and came face to face with one of her worst nightmares. A petite blonde girl stood before her, dressed in a skimpy Mrs. Clause outfit, complete with red and white striped stockings. Every speck of exposed skin had been smeared with red and green glitter, and a little nametag that read 'Megan', blinked back at Sara mercilessly.  
  
Suppressing the need to shudder at this very festive display, Sara attempted to ward off the girl, "Uh, no thanks. I was just looking at that scarecrow outfit and said to myself haystacks really itch," she said, impressed with her own ingenuity.  
  
"Well," said the girl, not easily discouraged, "If the scarecrow isn't your thing, we have some wonderful Mrs. Claus outfits, just like the one I'm wearing," gesturing at her own costume.  
  
"Um.that's a little more festive than I want to be," Sara replied. "I'm being forced into going to a party that I really don't want to, so I was hoping for something a little less flashy."  
  
The girl's face became a picture of concentration, as if Sara was a puzzle that she had been given to solve. Suddenly her eyes lit up. "I think I have the perfect outfit for you, follow me!" she said, bouncing off down one of the isles. Sara stared menacingly at the girls bouncing figure. "I wonder how traceable that red and green glitter would be," she thought to herself.  
  
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One good thing about Vegas was that if you needed a costume, you were in the right place; of course it helped if you had some idea of what you were actually looking for. Grissom had been roaming around the same costume shop for over an hour and he still hadn't found anything suitable for the party. He had thought about dressing up as Santa and colouring his beard white, but the thought of making himself appear any older than he actually was, did not appeal. Especially if Sara was going to be there.  
  
"Excuse me sir, is there anything I can do for you?" said a matronly voice from behind him. Grissom turned and found a portly, middle-aged woman looking at him. "I'm just trying to find a costume," Grissom said vaguely, hoping to dismiss the woman.  
  
"Oh! I have just the thing for a good-looking man like you. In fact it's one of our most popular costumes," the lady rattled off as she grabbed Grissom's arm and started to walk to their unknown destination. "My husband Al wore the same one last year and it was all I could do to keep my hands to myself," she tittered, winking meaningfully.  
  
The look on Grissom's face was priceless. Here he was, shopping for a costume to attend a party that he didn't want to go to and listening to the intimate secrets of a woman who looked like she feel out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. 'Could things possibly get any worse,' he thought to himself.  
  
As if reading his mind, the woman stopped at one of the racks and pulled out a costume. "You would look simply dashing in this," she exclaimed as she held out a very red and green Elvis suit. Giving him a flirtatious grin she added, "The ladies really love it and if you like, we have some dye that can turn your chest hair red and green."  
  
Grissom pursed his lips and slightly cocked his head at the woman. He couldn't believe her audacity. Choosing his words carefully Grissom said, "As appealing as the thought is of wearing an Elvis suit and having red and green chest hair, I think I'm going to have to pass."  
  
"Oh come on now, where's your sense of adventure honey?" she persisted. "A handsome man like you in an Elvis suit, a couple of pelvic thrusts and you'll be fighting the women off," she said fanning her face.  
  
Whether it was the thought of himself doing pelvic thrusts or the sight of the saleswoman demonstrating the action, it was hard to say, but Grissom looked horrified.  
  
"Uh..no.thanks," he managed to stammer. "Look, I don't even want to go to this party so the less attention I attract, the better."  
  
The woman's eyes grew sad as she placed the Elvis costume back on the rack, her fingers lingering on the sleeve as if she were saying goodbye to an old friend.  
  
"Excuse me..Miss," Grissom interrupted her reverie. "I'm kind of in a hurry here, do you have anything else that might be suitable?" he said, knowing full well that he'd been in the shop for close to two hours.  
  
"Oh, sorry," said the woman focusing her attention back on Grissom. "Hmmm, let me see," she murmured, drumming her fingers on her chin. "Got it!" she exclaimed suddenly, grabbing Grissom's arm again and pulling him down another isle.  
  
Grissom had to jog beside her to keep from being yanked off his feet. He thought, 'what's next? Michael Jackson, complete with a glittery green glove and sparkly red socks?' He almost stumbled as an image flashed in his mind of the saleswoman demonstrating the moonwalk, spinning around and grabbing her crotch; all while singing 'I'm bad, I'm bad'. "I have got to get out of here!" Grissom mumbled to himself.  
  
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Nick looked up as Sara walked into the break room. "Man, you look exhausted," he observed.  
  
"Yeah well you would too if you'd just spent the better part of two hours looking for a costume," Sara replied grumpily.  
  
"Two hours?" Nick asked in surprise. "See now that's why I'm not even bothering with a costume," he stated.  
  
"You're not? Do you think that's wise?" Sara asked. "You know the Christmas Nazi is only gonna give you one when you get there."  
  
Nick shrugged. "I'm prepared to take my chances," he said, grinning. "So, can I see it?"  
  
"See what?" asked Sara, somewhat perplexed.  
  
"Duuuuh," said Nick, slapping his forehead. "Your costume of course. I figure if it took you two hours to find it, then it must be pretty darn special," he said wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.  
  
Sara laughed. "No and no," she said emphatically.  
  
"No and no?" Nick's eyebrows lifted in question.  
  
"No, you can't see it and no it's not 'special'. You'll just have to wait until the party, like everyone else," she replied.  
  
Nick stood and walked towards the door, prodding her in the ribs as he walked by. "You're no fun," he said playfully. She grinned and poked her tongue out at him. "Oh so grown up," he chuckled. "See ya later Sar."  
  
She turned her attention back to the bench. As usual, the 'coffee' was a congealed black mass in the bottom of the pot. "Great," she muttered to herself. "Just when I really needed a fix." She washed out the pot and started another brew when she sensed someone else entering the room  
  
"Hey," said Grissom wearily, coming to stand beside her.  
  
"Hey yourself," she said, giving him a small smile. Although they had not resolved their problems, they were at least acting civilly towards each other. Their conversations of late consisted of work matters or idle chitchat, neither of them wanting to cause any additional friction by delving into personal matters or feelings. "You look, how I feel," observed Sara.  
  
"Don't get me started," grumbled Grissom. "Try two hours in a costume shop with the devil," he said dramatically.  
  
Sara chuckled. "Been there, done that. In fact that's how I just spent my last two hours," she said with an amused look. "Catherine has a lot to answer for."  
  
"Indeed she does," agreed Grissom. "Is there any coffee?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, I just made a fresh batch," she replied. "Pass your cup."  
  
A voice from behind them interrupted their friendly banter. "At last, my first two victims."  
  
Grissom turned. "Was there something you wanted Greg?" he asked resignedly. Greg stood in the doorway, a goofy grin on his face. "Well?" repeated Grissom, as he felt Sara turn beside him.  
  
Greg just stood there and looked at both of them, grinning like the village idiot. Slowly he brought his hand up and his finger pointed towards the ceiling.  
  
Grissom's eyes followed the trajectory indicated by Greg's finger and widened as he noticed what Greg was pointing at. Beside him, Sara choked on her coffee as her eyes also reached the same destination. There dangling from the ceiling was a tiny sprig of mistletoe, strategically placed above the coffeepot and consequently, directly above their heads.  
  
"Come on you two, pucker up. Tradition is tradition," Greg ribbed, from the doorway.  
  
Grissom dropped his eyes to look at Sara who was staring back at him, her expression unreadable. 'Damn,' he thought. 'What do I do now. If I don't kiss her, she'll feel rejected again and if I do kiss her, I'm afraid she'll be able to tell how I really feel about her.'  
  
Meanwhile Sara was suffering her own internal dialogue. 'Damn Greg and his stupid stunts,' she cursed mentally. Sure she wanted to kiss Grissom but not like this and not in front of Greg. 'Should I pull away and tell Greg what an ass he is or should I grab the opportunity while I have it?' she debated silently.  
  
"I'm waaaaaiiiiiting," sang Greg annoyingly.  
  
As if on cue, Grissom and Sara both leant in and pecked each other's cheek, somehow managing to avoid a clash of heads. Pulling back abruptly they both stared at their shoes like embarrassed teenagers.  
  
"See," said Greg triumphantly. "That wasn't so bad was it?"  
  
Grissom managed to regain his composure and turned to the young man. "I don't expect to hear about this through the office grapevine Greg. Are we clear on that?" he demanded.  
  
"Crystal," smirked Greg and sauntered off in the direction of his lab.  
  
"Uh, I have to get back to the layout room," mumbled Sara, still unable to meet Grissom's eyes. "Catch you later," she said, scurrying from the room, giving Greg the look of death as she passed him. Greg was amused however about the blush that had appeared on her cheeks.  
  
Grissom sighed. "Great," he said. "Just great."  
  
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	3. Stuck Only Once, For a Moment or Two

********Author's notes: Here is chapter 3 of our story. Hope that you are continuing to enjoy reading it, as much as we are loving writing it! Please do review. They make Xant and I smile, and encourage us to write faster, and post often! Thanks!**********  
  
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Chapter 3: Stuck only once, for a moment or two  
  
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Sara hung the flashing underwear back on the rack and sighed. Nick maybe, Greg definitely but Grissom? Never! She finished work early, after wrapping up her case and had been combing the strip ever since, searching for the perfect gift. She hadn't found anything that seemed right; it was either entirely predictable or way too impersonal. She was getting nowhere fast and her patience was quickly wearing thin.  
  
As her weary feet carried her towards the door, she heard a cheerful voice call out to her. "Hey Sar, wait up." She turned to see Greg loping towards her, one of his goofy grins fixed on his face.  
  
"Hey, watcha doin'?" he asked.  
  
"Well," replied Sara, icily. "In a few minutes I'll be examining the crime scene in this store."  
  
Greg looked around the store, a puzzled look on his face. "What crime scene?" he asked.  
  
"Yours," she stated her eyes boring into his face.  
  
"Whoa Sar, take a chill pill," he said, gesturing with his hands for her to calm down.  
  
"Don't Sar me, Greg," she said. "How could you even think about pulling a stunt like you did earlier in the break room?"  
  
Suddenly Greg looked very pleased with himself. "Oh come on Sara, are you trying to tell me that you haven't been dying to kiss Grissom?" he smirked.  
  
"What" demanded Sara. "How could you even..."  
  
"Don't waste your breath Sara," Greg interrupted. "You'd have to be a complete idiot not to sense the sexual tension between you two."  
  
Sara's eyes grew wider by the minute, her mouth opening and closing like a guppy.  
  
"I'm not the only one that's noticed either," continued Greg. "In fact, I'm surprised there isn't some sort of office pool on the two of you," he stopped, seeming to contemplate that idea for a while.  
  
Sara just stood at stared at him, her head a whirlpool of thoughts. Yeah sure, she had wanted to kiss Grissom but not like that, she had always imagined something slightly more romantic than being forced to kiss in the break room by Greg. What was more worrying to her at this moment however, was Greg's comment that people had noticed the tension between Grissom and herself. She shook her head, trying to regather herself.  
  
"Anyway Sar," began Greg again. "The way I see it, you owe me." Before Sara could form anything coherent, Greg winked at her and disappeared out the door, leaving her looking like a stunned mullet.  
  
She gradually came to her senses and remembering her current task, followed the path taken by Greg. She found herself wandering through the revolving doors of the next store in line, a bookstore. 'Hmmm,' she thought, "Maybe I'll have some luck in here.'  
  
She roved up and down the isles of books, her fingers lightly touching the spines and her thoughts soon began to drift. Greg's words played over and over in her mind. Was it that obvious to everyone else? She had always thought that the attraction was there, but after the rejection she suffered on the night of the lab explosion, she had come to the realization that it was just wishful thinking on her part. Now, after hearing Greg's admission, she wasn't so sure.  
  
She thought back to the kiss under the mistletoe. She had never expected there to be such electricity between them with such a simple kiss. Of course, was anything that simple when it came to Gil Grissom?  
  
Her thoughts were broken when her hand came to stop on a book. She picked it up, and turned it over it in her hands. Reading a few pages, she smiled to herself. This would be perfect! She closed it and headed to the register, proud of her find.  
  
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Grissom was pacing in his office. He didn't even notice that Warrick was standing in his doorway until he spoke.  
  
"Grissom, if you aren't careful you'll wear a hole in the floor if you keep going at that pace!" Warrick chuckled as sat down in one of the chairs by Grissom's desk.  
  
Grissom looked at the young man, and an idea flashed across his face. He walked over to the door leading to his office and shut it before taking a seat behind his desk. He looked thoughtfully at Warrick, deciding how to best phrase his question.  
  
"Warrick.. do you mind.if I.uh.asked you for some advise?" Grissom asked, a little unsure of himself.  
  
"You, want my advice?" Warrick said, his eyebrows rising.  
  
"Yes I do," he said, taking off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose in typical Grissom-like fashion. "It's this secret Santa thing, I just don't know what to get."  
  
Warrick cut him off, "Don't tell me Grissom! Just tell me if the person is male or female. Although if you're asking for my help, I'm going to take a wild guess that it is female," he smiled.  
  
"Very perceptive of you Warrick, ever think about becoming a CSI?" Grissom enquired sarcastically.  
  
"Hey man, you want my help or not?" Warrick asked, raising his eyebrows once more.  
  
At Grissom's nod, he continued, " Look Griss, I would say that you can't go wrong with either flowers or chocolate, but in this case I don't think it would be the best option. Flowers are sweet, but they don't last too long, and with your taste in chocolates," Warrick said as he eyeballed some of the chocolate grasshoppers, "I'm going to discourage that as well."  
  
"Warrick, I want to know what to get them, not what I shouldn't get them!" Grissom was becoming impatient.  
  
"Ok, well get something that you know she will like, but with a Grissom twist," Warrick shrugged casually.  
  
"A Grissom twist?" repeated Grissom, clearly confused.  
  
"Yeah you know, something that is meaningful to you but also lets her know that you got it with her in mind," Warrick explained.  
  
Grissom tilted his head, and began to think.  
  
"Well I'm heading out, but I will see you at Cath's party tomorrow." Warrick waved as he stepped out of Grissom's office, leaving his boss deep in thought.  
  
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Catherine and Greg were laughing about something when Warrick strolled into the break room, a huge grin on his face.  
  
"Well, you certainly look pleased with yourself," Catherine commented as Warrick joined them at the table.  
  
"Actually, you're the one who's gonna be pleased," said Warrick, still smiling. "I just completed another part of your little plan."  
  
Catherine suddenly became very attentive. "Okay, spill Warrick."  
  
He chuckled at her intensity. "Well, oh devious one," he said dramatically. "I just stumbled upon the incredibly socially inept Dr. Grissom, quickly wearing a hole in his carpet. So of course I stopped to see what the problem was."  
  
"Yeah and?" prompted Catherine.  
  
"Jeez Catherine, let the man speak will you," interjected Greg. Catherine ignored the interruption and raised her eyebrows in Warrick's direction.  
  
"It seems that our illustrious leader is having problems with gift ideas," smirked Warrick.  
  
"So did you give the poor guy a clue?" asked Greg.  
  
"Yeah, well I pretended like I didn't know who he was buying a gift for," he said, grinning at Catherine. "And just told him to get something that was meaningful to him but would also show that he'd bought the gift with the person in mind."  
  
"Nice job," said Catherine approvingly. "It's all falling nicely into place."  
  
"Yeah," said Greg. "I was just telling Catherine that I saw Sara out shopping for her gift. She was a little pissed with me about the mistletoe stunt."  
  
Warrick laughed. "I'm glad I'm not in your shoes bro. Catherine told me about what happened, I still can't believe you got them to do that," he said, shaking his head.  
  
"Just call me Dr. Loooove," crooned Greg.  
  
Catherine interrupted their playful banter. "Okay, so as far as we know, they are both coming to the party. Nick said that he had spoken with Sara and she had picked out a costume and Greg saw her shopping for a gift," she said, ticking off the points on her fingers. "We also know that Grissom is pondering what to buy as a gift. Anyone know if he's got a costume yet?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at the two men.  
  
"I caught a bit of the conversation between Sara and Griss before the mistletoe event," said Greg. "It sounded as though he had been out looking for one."  
  
"Great," said Catherine, smiling. "That just leaves the final phase of 'Project Strangelove'."  
  
"Which is?" asked Warrick and Greg in unison.  
  
She looked at each of them in turn, her smile widening. "Let's party boys!"  
  
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Grissom drove slowly but deliberately, guiding his Tahoe to a small store a couple of blocks away from the main Vegas strip. After his conversation with Warrick, he had spent the rest of the night trying to think of a gift with a 'Grissom twist'. Finally, he had thought of something perfect, something that would be meaningful to him and, he hoped, be meaningful to Sara. Parking his Tahoe, he got out and entered the store, a tiny bell announcing his arrival.  
  
Inside the store was an array of finely handcrafted jewelry, each piece exquisite in its own right. The owner was an old family friend and he smiled as he approached Grissom.  
  
"Gil, so nice to see you! How are you? How's your mother?" he asked, holding out his hand.  
  
"Hello Stan," he replied, shaking the smaller man's hand. "My mother is fine thank you. She's still keeping busy with her art gallery," Grissom smiled and began to look in the glass cases.  
  
"I don't suppose you're here to pick out an engagement ring are you?" the old man's eyes hopeful.  
  
"Not yet," Grissom said, with a thoughtful expression.  
  
"Well then, what can I do for you?"  
  
"Well I have to be a 'secret Santa' for this girl." Grissom began to explain.  
  
"Ahhhh, secret Santa?" said Stan knowingly. "It wouldn't happen to be the little lady at work that you've told me about would it..Sara?"  
  
"Actually yes it is. I need to find something special for her.something nice.. but ah.. not too nice you know?"  
  
"Yeah I understand, you want her to feel special, but not something that says, 'I want to marry you, have babies and grow old with you.' Right?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm not quite ready for that," admitted Grissom. "Yet," he added with a smile at Stan. "I had an idea about a gift but I'm not sure you'd be able to do it on such short notice, I need it by tomorrow.  
  
"Well Gil, let's go talk out back and I'll see what I can do," he said with a wink.  
  
Grissom gave Stan a half smile and followed him out to the rear of the store. 'Maybe this won't be so bad after all,' he thought.  
  
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	4. Christmas Eve, hating the Whos

********A/N: Xant and I would like to extend out thanks to everyone who has been supportive of our little fiction adventure.there is more to come. Also this story was a response to a challenge and in the story the line "great minds think alike" was supposed to be used. We however changed it to "geeky minds think a like". So as always PLEASE REVIEW!! They make us happy, and spread the Christmas cheer! Thanks!**************** ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 4: Christmas Eve, hating the Whos  
  
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Catherine was adding the finishing touches to her house. Twinkling lights were strung everywhere and a large tree stood close to the entrance. It had been strategically placed so that the secret Santa gifts could be placed underneath it as people arrived.  
  
The opening strains of "Deck the halls with bells of Holly" suddenly rang out. 'Ahhh,' thought Catherine, walking towards the door. 'That must be Warrick'. He had offered to come over early to help her get everything ready.  
  
She opened the door and gestured him inside, unable to speak for fear that laughter would overtake her. He stood in front of her in a brown furry suit with black shoes on his feet, black mittens on his hands and a pair of antlers decorating his head. The thing that Catherine found the most comical however, was the red glowing nose that dominated his face.  
  
"Let me guess. Rudolf the red nose reindeer?" Catherine questioned, fighting to keep her laughter in check.  
  
"Had a very shiny nose, " finished Warrick, with a chuckle. "Damn Catherine," he said appraisingly as he looked her costume over. She was wearing a tight fitting white dress and had smeared glitter over every speck of bare skin. Her hair was up, with a halo pinned in it and a beautiful pair of silver wings was attached to her back. He stood motionless for a moment as if waiting for the harp music to begin and for her to start glowing.  
  
"I didn't know that angels were so sexy," Warrick said in a low voice, taking a step closer, but a little squeal caught them off guard.  
  
Lindsey came bouncing into the room. "Warrick! I love your costume but I was hoping that I would get to dress you up!" she said as Warrick scooped her up into a big bear hug.  
  
"Sorry Linds, maybe someone else will forget their costume!" he said as she squeezed his glowing nose. The festive doorbell rang again and Warrick placed Lindsey back on the floor so she could answer the door. "Remember to get them to place their gifts under the tree hon," he reminded her.  
  
"Got it," she said with an exaggerated wink and ran off to answer the door.  
  
Shortly after they heard a giggle coming from the doorway and Greg's voice floated in, "What are you laughing at Linds?" Catherine and Warrick exchanged an amused glance as Lindsey came back in to the room with Greg in tow.  
  
He was wearing your typical elf outfit. Green pointy hat, shoes which curled at the front with a bell on the end, green tights and a red body suit. He also sported a pair of pointed ears that would make Spock envious.  
  
"Ok.. I'm here, so this party can now officially start!" Greg said excitedly.  
  
"Man, only you would show up to a party wearing tights!" Warrick stated as he took a seat on the couch.  
  
"I have to admit Greg, you have very nice legs for a man!" Catherine teased as she sat down next to Warrick.  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment thank you Catherine," he smiled at her. "And Warrick," he addressed the other man. "You're just jealous. If I were you, I wouldn't go dissin anyone else's costume, have you taken a look at your own?" he smirked, taking a seat across from them. The doorbell sang out once more and Lindsey took off down the hall.  
  
"You can put the gift under the tree Sara," the others heard Lindsey say, before guiding the new arrival into the living room.  
  
Sara entered the room, a fake smile plastered on her face. She was dressed in a Santa outfit, but instead of pants, she was wearing a skirt that came down to the middle of her thigh. Green fuzzy stockings covered the rest of her legs and green high heels only added to her height and accentuated her legs. The top slung down, exposing most of her collarbone on which she had smeared a tiny bit of green glitter. The sleeves were long, covering her arms, and green furry gloves poked out of the end. She sat down on the loveseat.  
  
"Let me guess," said Warrick. "Mrs. Grinch?"  
  
Sara gave him a small smile and nodded.  
  
"You look great Sara. I'm impressed that you even dressed up!" Catherine exclaimed.  
  
The smile that had been directed at Warrick quickly disappeared as Sara's gaze shifted to Catherine. If looks could kill, then Catherine was indeed, dead and buried.  
  
"Yeah," piped up Greg, trying to lighten the mood. "I sure hope your secret Santa got you a shaver though.. I mean dang, look at all that fur! Although some men find that kind of thing." Greg's sentence was cut short as Sara socked him in the arm.  
  
The doorbell rang and Lindsey was off like a flash. No sooner had she left the room than she came running back in, an excited look on her face. "Mommy, Nick forgot his costume! Does that mean I get to dress him?"  
  
Nick walked into the room a few minutes later. "Aww, c'mon Catherine, I thought you were just kidding about the no costume thing."  
  
"You should know by now Nick, that I never joke when it comes to my daughter." She replied, trying to keep the humor from her voice. "Now be a good boy and follow Lindsey down to her room so that she can dress you properly."  
  
Nick scanned the faces of his colleagues, silently pleading for someone to help him.  
  
Lindsey reached out and grabbed his arm. "C'mon Nicky, I've got a great idea for you," she said enthusiastically.  
  
Defeated, Nick turned and followed the little girl down to her room, leaving the others to fall about the room with laughter.  
  
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Sometime later Lindsey reentered the room.  
  
"Um.. could someone please come and help me?" she asked with a grin on her face.  
  
"Yeah I will," said Sara, relishing the chance to dress up Nick.  
  
Lindsey grabbed her hand and led her down the hall to where she was keeping Nick hostage.  
  
Sara giggled as she entered Lindsey's room. Nick was standing in the middle of the room looking slightly concerned for his safety. He was wearing a large tapered green dress that came down to just below his knees. His feet and legs were covered with brown stockings and spread out on the bed was several strands of battery-powered lights, ornaments and tinsel.  
  
"Don't say a word Sidle," growled Nick playfully.  
  
Sara just smirked at him as she pretended to zip her lips and throw away the key.  
  
"He's too tall for me to reach, so you're going to have to help me Sara," said Lindsey, explaining her slight problem.  
  
"Okay no problem, what would you like me to do?" Sara asked.  
  
"I'll pass you stuff and tell you where to put it!" Lindsey said as she started to hand things to Sara.  
  
"You ready Nick?" Sara asked, grinning broadly and holding a strand of lights.  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be!" grumbled Nick.  
  
Despite Nick's objections, Sara could tell by the twinkling of his eyes that he was having just as much fun as Lindsey. In fact, she wouldn't have been at all surprised if he had forgotten his costume on purpose, just so the little girl would have someone to dress up.  
  
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Back in the living room, Catherine checked her watch once more, wondering where her last guest was. As if reading her mind, the doorbell rang out. When it was obvious that Lindsey was far too engrossed with her current project, Catherine got up to answer the door.  
  
A snort of laughter was heard as Catherine greeted her final guest. "Thanks a lot Catherine," came Grissom's voice.  
  
"No.it's just.well.you'll see," she said, trying to regain control of herself. She re-entered the living room and sat back down on the couch next to Warrick.  
  
Not too far behind her was Grissom. He was dressed in a Santa outfit but there wasn't a white, fluffy beard in sight. Instead, his hands were covered with green, furry gloves and on his feet; he wore a pair of green, hairy slippers.  
  
Greg and Warrick both tried hard to stifle their laughter but with little success.  
  
"I knew this was a bad idea." Grissom mumbled as he sat down on the loveseat.  
  
"I kinda like it.Grinchy Grissom!" Greg squeaked out between fits of laughter.  
  
Warrick turned to Catherine and whispered in her ear, "Did you plan the whole costume matching thing?"  
  
"No," she whispered back. "I didn't!"  
  
"Just goes to prove, geeky minds think alike!" Warrick whispered, trying not to laugh aloud.  
  
Grissom sat on the loveseat, a dark frown on his face. He knew that he looked ridiculous in the costume and he assumed that the laughter was proof of this. He had no idea that he and Sara had essentially picked the same costume and that his friends found this funny beyond belief.  
  
A small sound interrupted the commotion in the room. They all turned and saw Lindsey standing in the doorway, holding the hand of a giant tree, a tree that greatly resembled Nick. He was covered from head to toe in strands of lights, which were madly flashing a multitude of colours. Brightly decorated ornaments of every imaginable design dangled from his arms, legs and torso, kept on by badge hooks that Catherine had borrowed from the lab. His ears were adorned with a pair of clip on light bulbs and his head was completely covered by a very plump Christmas fairy.  
  
Laughter erupted around the room once again, Grissom joining in this time, glad that the focus had shifted to someone else.  
  
Greg was the first one to catch his breath. "Why Nicky, you look so.festive!" he said, breaking off into another fit of laughter.  
  
"Hey, glad I could entertain y'all," he said, waddling across the room and carefully taking a seat.  
  
"Oooo, careful with those lights," winced Catherine. "You don't want to get one of those in the wrong place," she quipped, setting everyone off again.  
  
"Thanks for your concern Catherine," Nick replied, giving her a withering look.  
  
Lindsey ran over and plopped herself into Warrick's lap. "Hey, what did you guys do with Sar?" he asked, tickling Lindsey in the ribs.   
  
"Oh she's being a Good Samaritan and cleaning up the mess in Lindsey's room," replied Nick, still trying to get comfortable.   
  
A loud horn honked outside. "That must be Lindsey's ride," stated Catherine. "She's going to a Christmas Eve sleepover," she explained. "C'mon Linds, say goodnight to everyone, while I go get your things."  
  
The little girl gave Warrick a kiss on the cheek. "See ya War," she said before running over to Nick and throwing her arms around his neck. "Thanks for letting me dress ya up Nick" she said sweetly.  
  
Nick looked down at her, his heart melting when he saw the big smile on her face. "You're welcome Linds, I had fun too," he replied, giving her a big squeeze.  
  
"Okay hon," interrupted Catherine, coming back into the room. "Say goodbye to Grissom and Greg or you're gonna be late."  
  
"Bye," said Lindsey, waving at the other two men. "Can I say goodbye to Sara too?" she asked looking up at her mom.  
  
"All right, but make it quick," Catherine sighed.  
  
A few moments later Lindsey reappeared. "Okay mom, I'm ready," she said excitedly.  
  
"Thank goodness for that," Catherine said dramatically, taking her daughters hand and escorting her out to the waiting car. The others fell into light conversation once again.  
  
"Okay everyone, who wants eggnog?" Catherine queried as she walked back into the living room. A chorus of 'me' and 'yes please', echoed around the room.  
  
Catherine walked to the kitchen and re-emerged after a few minutes, her arms laden with several glasses and a jug of eggnog. "Hey where's Sara," she asked.  
  
"I'm here," came a voice from the doorway.  
  
Everyone watched as Sara and Grissom's eyes made contact. They slowly looked each other over, neither quite believing what they saw.  
  
'This has to be some kind of setup,' thought Sara. 'Why else would he be wearing the same costume as me? He does look kinda cute though,' she smiled to herself, walking over to the only spare seat in the room.  
  
Grissom's eyes followed her, admiring the way the costume accentuated her figure. His eyes travelled the length of her legs and eventually came to rest on her exposed collarbone, as she sat down beside him. 'Even covered in green fur, she looks incredible,' he thought.  
  
Their silent observations of each other were interrupted as Catherine spoke. "Well, now that everyone is here, it's time to give out the secret Santa gifts."  
  
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	5. All the Who girls and boys They'd rush f...

****Xant and I would again like to extend our deepest thanks to everyone who has been given us feedback on our story. We realize that while Christmas is over, we hope that there is still and interest. So as always reviews are encouraged, and welcomed!! Thanks again for all the support! ****  
  
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Chapter 5: All the Who girls and boys. They'd rush for their toys!  
  
Catherine retrieved the gifts from under the tree by the doorway and made her way back to the living room. She sat on the floor next to Nick and began placing the gifts around his ankles.  
  
"Um...Catherine." said Nick, tentatively. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Well the real tree is too heavy to move in here, so I thought I'd put the presents under you instead," she stated matter-of-factly. "You know, it would be a lot better if you could stand over there," gesturing to an empty spot in the corner of the room.  
  
"Don't push it Catherine," growled Nick. "I let your daughter dress me up, but there is no way that I am going to play pretend Christmas tree for the rest of you," he said, looking around the room.  
  
"Okay, okay," Catherine placated. "Keep your tinsel on," she said, smirking at the others as they chuckled.  
  
As she positioned the gifts around Nick's feet, she couldn't help but wonder what Sara and Grissom had bought for each other. So far her devious little plan was working beautifully, aided by the unwitting twosome in their choice of costume.  
  
"Okay, I see everyone had the good sense to type out a label for their present, so that no-one will be able to tell who their secret Santa is," she paused, looking from Sara to Grissom. "Of course, if you wish to reveal that later, it's completely up to you," she smiled cunningly.  
  
"Just get on with it Catherine," grumbled Grissom, giving her an irritated stare. "This fur is starting to itch."  
  
"Ooooo, someone's really getting into character aren't they?" she teased. "Alright, the grumpy Grinch can take first pick." She waved a Santa hat at Grissom.  
  
He reached in and drew out a name. "Greg," he read out.  
  
Catherine located Greg's present and passed it to the young man who snatched it from her like an excited kid. He attacked the wrapping paper viciously, tearing it away until he could get to the box inside. The rest of the group watched his child like antics with amused expressions.  
  
He eventually won his fight to open the box, only to reveal another box inside. He read the attached note aloud, "These are so that no one else has to suffer the pain of that which you call music, but still allow you the freedom to do your work!" He demonstrated his youthful enthusiasm once more, ripping the second box open. "Sweet!" he exclaimed, pulling out a pair of wireless headphones. "Now I can listen to my music, jump around and not get yelled at! Five bucks says that Grissom gave me these!" Greg said looking at his supervisor.  
  
Grissoms' face remained impartial as he stared back at Greg.  
  
"Oh well," said Greg, his enthusiasm unaltered. "Thanks secret Santa, whoever you are!" he grinned.  
  
"Your turn to pick, Greg," said Catherine, shaking the hat at him.  
  
He dipped his hand in and rummaged around.  
  
"Today Greg," said Warrick, rolling his eyes.  
  
Greg smiled back and finally pulled a name out. "Grissom," he announced.  
  
"Here you go," said Catherine, trying to hide her curiosity as she passed Grissom his gift.  
  
Grissom discarded his furry hand coverings and took the present. He meticulously began to remove the paper. Catherine returned to her spot on the floor and watched impatiently, struggling to keep herself from jumping back across the room to tear it open for him. Eventually he got the paper off and placed the neat ball on Sara's lap, giving her a smile. He opened the box and pulled out a book, reading the title out loud, "'Sentimental Sayings, what to say when you are stuck for words'." A slow blush crept over his cheeks.  
  
Catherine looked at Sara, who had suddenly become very interested in the ball of wrapping paper that Grissom had placed on her lap. It was obvious that Sara had purchased the book while remembering the plant that Grissom had sent her when she had threatened to leave the lab. It was well known amongst all of them, that Grissom had sent her a card with only two words on it, 'from Grissom'. Catherine glanced at her co-conspirators, only to notice how hard they were fighting to retain their composure.  
  
All of this was lost on Grissom however, as he studied the book. He noticed that it had been book marked and opened it to the relevant page. Silently he read the words. 'Every time I see you, I try to hide away. But when we meet, it seems I can't let go. Every time you leave the room, I feel I'm fading like a flower.  
  
Grissom sat in stunned silence, not daring to look at anyone. At first, he had thought that the book had been a joke from someone, making fun of his lack of emotions. Now, as he read the verse over and over, he wasn't so sure. Before he could analyze it further, Catherine interrupted him.  
  
"You get to pick again," she announced, dangling the hat under his nose once more.  
  
Reluctantly he closed the book and reached in to the hat to pull out another name. "Catherine," he read, giving her a small smile.  
  
"About time," she huffed, retrieving her parcel from underneath the 'Nicky' tree.  
  
She tore through the paper like a woman possessed, almost matching Greg's display but without the childlike enthusiasm. Opening the box inside, she pulled out a bag of fake chest hair and a bottle of massage oil. Looking completely confused, she pulled out the card to see whether it offered any explanation. "To the woman with a fetish for hairy chests," she read out. "Now you can teach your caveman the joys of massage." Her cheeks flushed as she looked at everyone, trying to figure out who had been audacious enough send her such a gift.  
  
"Uh..Catherine," Warrick prodded her. "Are you gonna pick a name or are you just gonna sit there with your mouth open."  
  
"Yeah..right," she stammered, grabbing a name out of the hat. "Nicky," she said, handing him his gift.  
  
Ripping open the paper, he pulled out a muscle shirt, which read 'Purebred Texan'. "Oh yeah," he agreed with the shirt. "This is going on as soon as someone frees me from my Christmas tree prison," he said, gesturing at his costume.  
  
"Which won't be any time soon," teased Catherine, waving the Santa hat in his direction.  
  
Nick poked his tongue out at her and delved in to the hat. "Hmmmm," he said. "Only two left," casting a glance at Sara, then Warrick. "Who will it be?" he intoned mysteriously.  
  
"Quit clowning around and pick a name will ya," complained Sara.  
  
"The grumpy Grinch mood must be catching," Nick whispered to Catherine, who smiled back at him.  
  
"Ahhh," said Nick, reading his piece of paper. "The lovely Miss. Sidle gets to go next," giving Sara a mock bow, no mean feat in his ornate costume.  
  
"I hope you sit on a light bulb," she teased back, trying hopelessly to keep the grin from her face.  
  
As Catherine passed Sara her gift, Greg piped up. "Man someone sure was stingy with your gift, look how small it is!" he observed.  
  
"Thanks for pointing that out Greg," Sara said rolling her eyes, "You know what they say though, 'good things come in small packages'."  
  
"But I'm good and I don't have a small package!" Greg quipped, winking at her.  
  
Catherine gave a small snort and Warrick shook his head at the young man's impudence.  
  
Grissom's eyes however, remained on Sara as she carefully removed the wrapping from her present. She opened the card attached to the box and read it silently.  
  
I spied a tiny butterfly,  
  
'twas floating in the air,  
  
It danced about, and stole my breath,  
  
with beauty, grace and flare.  
  
Pure elegance in every move,  
  
such sadness spoke to me,  
  
with every flutter of its wings,  
  
'neath blossom covered tree  
  
It saw my vulnerability,  
  
felt every tear I cried,  
  
it understood each pain of mine,  
  
knew how I felt inside.  
  
A single tear fell down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away with the palm of her hand.  
  
"Well," asked Catherine curiously. "What did it say?"  
  
Unable to trust her voice, Sara passed her the card and began to undo the small bow that held the box closed. She was oblivious to the captivated looks of the others in the room. They had all witnessed the silent tear that had fallen down her face and were spellbound as they watched her open the box.  
  
She set the lid aside as she removed the tissue paper inside the box. A small gasp escaped her lips, as she pulled out an exquisite gold chain. Attached to it was a small intricate butterfly pendant and it was one of the most beautiful things that she had ever seen in her life. It was finely crafted from gold and each wing was decorated with tiny diamond chips, which sparkled in the light.  
  
Sara looked up at the faces staring back at her. "I....who," she stammered, still reeling from the sheer beauty of the butterfly. "I can't possibly accept this," she whispered. "It's far to expensive for a secret Santa gift."  
  
Catherine was the first to speak, her eyes moist with emotion. "There aren't any rules about the gift Sara," she said softly. "It's entirely up to each person to choose what they want to give."  
  
Sara returned her eyes to the necklace sitting in the palm of her hand and she gently stroked the butterfly wings. "Thank you," she choked out, her voice thick with emotion. "It's absolutely gorgeous."  
  
"You're welcome," said the voice beside her. Grissom was so caught up in the emotionally charged moment that the words tumbled from his lips before he could stop to think about it.  
  
Sara turned her head to look at him and instantly became lost in the depths of his beautiful blue eyes. Neither of them spoke, there was no need to; their eyes silently communicated their feelings for each other.  
  
Finally Grissom spoke. "Would you like me to put that on for you?" he asked tenderly, gesturing to the necklace in her hand.  
  
Still unable to speak, she simply nodded and passed it to him.  
  
He carefully unclasped the chain and placed it around her neck. Slowly he let go of the chain, his fingers staying on her neck for a moment too long. He felt her shiver at his touch and he smiled to himself. As Sara turned to face him, his eyes drifted down to the butterfly, which now lay so perfectly against her skin. "Beautiful," he whispered, his eyes travelling over her face until he became lost in her once more.  
  
The room had become completely silent as the others watched the scene before them. None of them had expected to witness such a beautiful moment and each one of them felt extremely privileged.  
  
Suddenly, Sara became acutely aware of the several pairs of eyes that were locked on her and Grissom. She reluctantly broke her gaze away from the man that she adored and turned to Warrick.  
  
"Well I guess you're the last one huh?" she said, trying to act as if nothing had happened.  
  
"Uh...yeah.I guess," sputtered Warrick, still not believing what had just occurred. "Cath?" he asked, breaking the other woman out of her trance.  
  
"Oh, right," she replied, picking up the last gift. "Here you go hun," she said, still staring at Grissom and Sara, completely oblivious to her slip of the tongue.  
  
Warrick noticed the silent grins exchanged by Greg and Nick but said nothing. Instead, he busied himself with the unwrapping of his present. He removed the paper and laughed as he pulled out a pair of green satin boxers. He held them up for everyone to see and they blinked the words 'Who's your Santa?' in bright red lights.  
  
"So who is your Santa War?" asked Greg, a mischievous smile on his face.  
  
"Like I'd tell you," replied Warrick with a smile.  
  
Catherine decided that now was a good time to change the subject. "I'm going to make some more eggnog, Griss can you give me a hand please."  
  
"Me?" asked Grissom, clearly confused at such a request.  
  
"Yes you," Catherine replied, motioning with her head towards the kitchen, indicating that she wanted to talk to him in private.  
  
Grissom sighed. "Excuse me a moment," he said to Sara as he rose from his seat. "It seems that I've been summoned."  
  
Sara offered him a small smile. "Lucky you," she mouthed and watched as he trudged out of the room.  
  
"Okay," Grissom said, joining Catherine in the kitchen. "What's wrong now?"  
  
"Wrong?" Catherine asked in surprise. "Nothing is wrong, in fact, things couldn't be more right!" she said excitedly. "Where on earth did you get that beautiful pendant?"  
  
"I had an old family friend make it for me" he said casually, as if it were an every day occurrence.  
  
"Well you did good," she said, giving him a smile. "The poem was an especially nice touch, I had no idea you were so romantic."  
  
"Well Sara's a special woman Catherine, it just took me awhile to see that," he paused for a moment, obviously struggling with his thoughts. "But.I um.well.never mind," he said, looking a bit embarrassed.  
  
"Spit it out Gil," probed Catherine. "But what?"  
  
"It's just that I'm not sure what to do next," he admitted somewhat sheepishly. "I mean you saw what happened in there. I just don't want to screw this up," he sighed, stuffing his hands in his Santa pockets and looking down at his green furry feet.  
  
Catherine smiled. "Well it just so happens that I can help you there. Let me fill you in on a little secret." she said, linking her arm through his.  
  
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	6. Their mouths will hang open a minute or ...

***Authors Notes: Yeah, we finally got a chance to update. Xant gets most of the credit for this part. Mostly her doing. We can't thank everyone enough for those of you who have been so very supportive of our little fic. Yes, it is not Christmas anymore, but hey, Christmas is good all year right? ~Ash and Xant~  
  
Chapter 6: Their mouths will hang open a minute or two  
  
Grissom reentered the room about quarter of an hour later, carrying two glasses of eggnog. Nick, Warrick and Greg had formed a small huddle on one side of the room and were talking animatedly about last week's football game. Grissom walked over to where Sara was still sitting on the love seat, quietly staring at the poem that he had included with the necklace.  
  
"Hey," he said softly. "I brought you some eggnog." He offered her one of the glasses that he held.  
  
Sara looked up and smiled. "Thanks," she said, accepting the proffered drink.  
  
He took his place next to her and they quietly sipped their drinks, each wondering what to do next. Eventually Grissom broke the silence. "Uh.Sara," he voiced uneasily. "You don't want to.I mean.um.would you like," he paused taking a nervous breath, his eyes firmly fixed on the glass in his hands.  
  
Sara turned to look at him and offered an encouraging smile. "Would I like to what?" she asked, reaching out to place a reassuring hand on his arm.  
  
Feeling her gentle touch, he looked up into her smiling face, immediately becoming lost in dark pools of brown. "Well, I just wondered whether you would like to take a walk with me outside?" he asked hopefully. "It's a beautiful clear night," he added.  
  
"I'd like that," she answered, giving him a shy smile.  
  
He reached over to take her drink and placed it with his own on the nearby table. He stood and extended his hand. "Shall we?" he asked, smiling down at her.  
  
The room had become deadly quiet as the huddle of men on the other side of the room watched the dance being played out before them.  
  
Sara reached up to take Grissom's hand and he gently pulled her to her feet. He tenderly placed her hand in the crook of his arm and led her out through the kitchen, past Catherine and into the backyard.  
  
As they exited the house, Catherine raced back into the living room. "Did you see that?" she asked excitedly. "It worked!" she yelled, not pausing to think as she gave Warrick a lip-smacking kiss. Nick and Greg broke into huge grins and soon the whole group was exchanging high fives and slaps on the back.  
  
The mood outside was a little less raucous. "Wow," said Sara, staring at the night sky. "You were right, it's amazing," she said in awe.  
  
Grissom smiled at her childlike expression and led her over to a corner of the garden where a rug had been laid out on the lawn, complete with two wine glasses, a bottle of bubbly and a small bowl of fresh strawberries.  
  
Sara turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Catherine," he smiled, answering her unspoken question.  
  
She released her hold on his arm and took a seat on the rug, leaning back against the cushions that had been placed against the garden wall. "Well, it would be a shame to let it go to waste," she grinned, popping a strawberry into her mouth. "Mmmm," she said. "Where on earth did she get strawberries at this time of year?"  
  
Grissom chuckled as he took a seat next to her on the rug. "Who knows," he shrugged. "They do however, bring out the flavor of champagne," he said, in typical Grissom-like fashion, filling the two glasses and offering one to her.  
  
"This is the second drink you've given me tonight. Are you trying to get me tipsy Dr. Grissom?" she teased playfully.  
  
"One can only hope," he quipped in return, his blue eyes twinkling roguishly.  
  
They fell into a comfortable silence, sipping their champagne, observing the sparkling stars in the dark sky and quickly devouring the delicious strawberries.  
  
They both reached for the last strawberry at the same time, startling each other with the sudden contact of their hands.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Inside the house, the others were speculating about what was happening outside in the garden.  
  
"Grissom is probably boring her to death with the mating rituals of butterflies," smirked Greg.  
  
"Yeah," agreed Nick. "That's probably his idea of foreplay," he joked.  
  
"Shhh," hushed Catherine from her position beside the window. "I'm trying to hear what's going on," she said, attempting to peer surreptitiously around the edge of the curtain.  
  
"Geez Cat," sighed Warrick. "Give the poor people some privacy would ya," he said, rolling his eyes at Nick and Greg.  
  
"Yeah," added Greg. "You don't wanna risk seeing two furry Grinches making out, it might scar you for life," he sniggered. Catherine turned and gave him an irritated look, immediately putting an end to his laughter. She returned her attention to the window and peeked out once more. "Oh my," she whispered quietly.  
  
"What?" asked the others in unison.  
  
"I think they may have progressed from the mating rituals of butterflies," she replied.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 


	7. Staring Down From Their Cave

****We would love to extend out deepest thanks to EVERYONE who has been so kind in writing reviews for our fic. We appreciate the support and kind words that people have given us. However, we regret to inform you that the next chapter will probably be the last one. Thanks, Xant and Ash****  
  
Chapter 7: Staring Down From Their Cave  
  
"Sorry," said Sara. "I didn't realise we had eaten so many already. You take the last one," she gestured.  
  
"No, it's okay," replied Grissom, taking the last strawberry from the bowl. "You have it," he insisted, holding the fruit inches from her lips, his eyes firmly fixed on her mouth. He began to breathe faster as he suddenly realised what he was doing.  
  
Sara slowly opened her mouth, allowing him to feed her the strawberry. As she bit down, her lips brushed his fingertips, causing him to moan softly at the intimate touch.  
  
He held his position, watching her mouth as she consumed the first bite. He could feel her eyes on him but he was unable to lift his own from their current target.  
  
"Here," he heard her whisper as she took the remaining portion of the strawberry from his fingers. She leant towards him, offering him the last bite.  
  
He opened his mouth accepting the fruit, closing his lips around it completely and capturing her fingers. He pulled back slowly, his lips running down her fingers as he released them, applying gentle pressure with his tongue. He watched as her eyes fluttered shut and she shivered as the intense sensations coursed throughout her body.  
  
He reached forward to wipe away a small drop of juice from the corner of her mouth, his hand coming to rest against her cheek.  
  
She moved her head so that she nuzzled her face into the palm his hand, enjoying the warmth of his touch. She slowly opened her eyes and stared back at him, a dreamy expression on her face.  
  
Slowly he traced the outline of her jaw with his fingertip. "That was by far the best strawberry I've ever had," he whispered hoarsely.  
  
"Me too," she replied quietly, lifting her own hand to capture his, lacing her fingers in between his.  
  
"So," she paused, looking down at their linked hands. "Other than to feed me strawberries, why did you bring me out here?" she asked shyly.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The couple outside were oblivious to the four sets of eyes that were now watching their every move from inside the house. The lights around the garden and the glow from the moon provided just enough illumination for the others to follow what was going on.  
  
"Well who would have thought," said Nick wistfully, as he peered out of the window. He had now changed out of his Christmas tree costume and was wearing his new muscle shirt.  
  
"Yeah," replied Greg. "Grissom's got game."  
  
Warrick was the first to move away from the window. "Okay guys, give 'em a break," he urged. "How would you feel if it was you out there?"  
  
Greg turned to look at him. "Ecstatic!" he quipped, as he broke into a huge grin.  
  
Warrick chuckled and shook his head. "Well judging from what's going on out there, I'd say you are well and truly out of the running with Sara."  
  
The grin on Greg's face disappeared as he walked over and slouched down on the couch next to Warrick. "Dude, don't remind me," he said morosely. "Beaten out by the Bugman."  
  
Nick turned away from the window and gave Greg a smile as he walked over to take a seat. "Think of it this way Greggo," he smirked. "At least you weren't beaten out by Ecklie."  
  
"Awww man, that's just nasty," said Warrick. He turned his attention to the only other person still looking out the window. "Catherine," he sighed. "Will you quit being so nosey?" he asked.  
  
"Shhh," she replied, waving her hand at him but not turning her head.  
  
Warrick looked at the other two men and silently indicated for them to follow his lead. Quietly he rose and snuck across the room until he stood directly behind Catherine, Greg and Nick following close behind. Suddenly he lunged forward, pinning Catherine's arms to her sides. "Gotcha!" he yelled. "Grab her legs boys," he shouted to Greg and Nick.  
  
Catherine screamed. "Warrick Brown, put me down right now," she yelled, flailing her legs about wildly.  
  
"Not until you promise to leave Grissom and Sara in peace," he replied, dragging her away from the window.  
  
Greg and Nick looked on with amusement. "Uh Warrick," said Nick apprehensively. "There's no way I'm grabbing those legs," he gestured towards Catherine's wildly thrashing limbs.  
  
"C'mon Nick, you a man or a mouse?" he puffed, trying to keep the wild woman in his arms from escaping.  
  
"Mouse," replied Nick without hesitation.  
  
Catherine interrupted their manly banter. "I'm warning you Warrick, let me go or there will be consequences," she growled.  
  
Warrick continued to move backwards until he felt the edge of the couch against the back of his legs. Slowly he fell backwards, holding tightly onto Catherine so that she ended up on his lap. "Not until you promise to behave," he said, trying not to laugh at the expression on her face.  
  
Catherine glared at him, knowing that there was no way she could win this competition. "Oh ok," she grumped, looking like a kid who had just had her cookies and milk stolen.  
  
Warrick released his hold on her but she didn't move. Instead she just made herself more comfortable on his lap, throwing a look at Nick and Greg that dared them to make any comment.  
  
The other two men just smiled at each other and sat down, both of them thinking what a crazy night it had been.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	8. His Heart Ddin't Feel Quite so Tight

*****A/N: Xanti and I were a bit saddened by the lack of reviews that the last chapter that we wrote. So hopefully you all will make up for it on this one. Oh and we lied a bit. The next chapter will be the last. We decided to cut this one in half. PLEASE REVIEW!!! Ash and Xanti *****  
  
Chapter 8: His Heart Didn't Feel Quite so Tight  
  
"Well," replied Grissom, reaching into the pocket of his Santa suit with his free hand. "I'm guessing that this was from you and not Greg," he smirked, pulling out the book of sentimental sayings.  
  
"Why? You don't think Greg fades away every time you leave the room?" Sara quipped, her eyes twinkling in the moonlight.  
  
"Yeah," replied Grissom, rolling his eyes. "That would be just my luck."  
  
Sara gave a small chuckle. "Well, you're safe," she reassured him, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "I gave you the book and the page that I book-marked expresses exactly how I feel," she admitted quietly.  
  
Grissom remained silent as he processed her words. Finally he spoke. "Don't you think it's funny that we both expressed our feelings using other peoples' words?" he smiled wryly.  
  
"Yeah, well let's face it Gris," answered Sara with a grin. "We aren't the most socially adept of people."  
  
It was his turn to chuckle. "I guess you're right about that," he agreed.  
  
"So quit evading the question bugman," Sara pressed. "Why did you invite me out here?"  
  
Grissom swallowed and looked down at their intertwined fingers. "Two days ago I had the chance to do something that I've dreamed about doing for a long time," he admitted, raising his eyes to look at her.  
  
Sara nodded, quietly urging him to continue.  
  
"The thing is, I wasn't quite sure what to do when the opportunity arose and I blew it," he paused, gathering the courage to continue. "I'd really like another chance to remedy that," he whispered, staring intently into her eyes.  
  
Sara stared back at him, confusion etched on her face. She watched as he silently raised his free hand until his finger pointed to the sky above their heads. Images of Greg performing the same action two days earlier in the break room came flooding back to her and she could feel her heart begin to beat wildly as she absorbed the implication of Grissom's words.  
  
Slowly she moved her gaze from his face and travelled upwards until she spied a bunch of mistletoe dangling from a branch, directly above the rug that they were sitting on. Her breath caught in her throat as she anticipated what was about to happen.  
  
She felt him remove his hand from hers and his featherlike touch grazed the side of her face. "So what do you think?" he asked tenderly. "Do I get another chance to do this properly?"  
  
Sara dropped her eyes from the mistletoe until she found the familiar blue orbs that had haunted her dreams for so many nights. "I think we both deserve another chance," she whispered.  
  
She watched as he leant towards her, his eyes slowly closing and his hand moving behind her neck to pull her closer to him. As her own eyes shut, she felt the soft brush of his lips on hers and she let out a small gasp.  
  
Grissom pulled back, thinking that he had done something wrong. "Sara.I'm sorry...I thought." he began to apologise.  
  
She reached out and put a finger against his lips. "Shhh, it's ok," she said reassuringly. She tenderly traced the outline of his lips before leaning forward to claim them with her own. Her hands came up to reach around his neck and she pulled him to her.  
  
"Sara." She felt him whisper her name against her lips and his other hand snaked around her waist as he leant backward and gently pulled her down onto the rug. His tongue began a slow exploration of her mouth and she let out a low moan as he deepened the kiss. His hands trailed down her back, coming to rest on her backside and he pulled her into his body, a groan escaping his lips as he felt her rub against him.  
  
Even though Sara was completely wrapped up in the feel of his mouth on hers and his hands caressing her body she could sense that this was getting out of hand. She knew that one of them had to put a stop to it before it was too late. Reluctantly she lifted her head and looked down at him, his eyes swirled with desire. Once again she reached up with her hand and traced his swollen lips with her finger.  
  
He reached up to grab her hand and kissed her fingertips gently. Their eyes remained locked and neither of them spoke, both trying to regain their breath and neither unable to believe what had just occurred.  
  
Suddenly Grissom let go of Sara's hand and reached up to pull her mouth to his once more. Unable to resist, Sara succumbed to the passion that overtook her body.  
  
After a few moments of caressing and kissing she managed to regain control of her senses and pulled away again. "Gris," she whispered breathlessly. "We have to stop this before it goes to far."  
  
He ignored her plea and continued to explore her neck with his mouth.  
  
"Gris, I'm serious," she said, moaning quietly as he nuzzled her neck. 'Damn he's good' she thought to herself, almost losing her resolve. "What if the others come outside and find us like this?" she managed to continue.  
  
She heard him groan in frustration. "Sara, why do you have to be so sensible," he asked, reaching up and tucking her hair behind her ear.  
  
"Oh that's great coming from you," she replied, giving him a gentle slap on the chest.  
  
Grissom laughed. "There's a time and a place to be sensible Miss. Sidle and this is not either," he said, grinning mischievously.  
  
"You're incorrigible," giggled Sara. She pushed herself up into sitting position and began to straighten her clothes. Suddenly she looked at him and then back at herself and started giggling again.  
  
"What's so funny?" asked Grissom, partially sitting up and resting on his elbows.  
  
"I just realised," said Sara, in between fits of giggles. "How funny it would have looked if one of the others had come out here."  
  
Grissom looked confused. "And why would it have looked funny?" he asked defensively.  
  
Unable to stop giggling, Sara gestured to her costume and then at his. "Two green.furry people.dressed in Santa suits," she managed to say. "Rolling around on a rug." Holding her sides, she collapsed into another round of laughter.  
  
Grissom stared at her, then looked down at himself and let out a chuckle. He glanced over at Sara and wiggled his furry green feet at her, which just increased the intensity of her laughter. The sight of her rolling round on the rug, holding her sides was more than Grissom could bear and he too began to laugh uncontrollably.  
  
"Sara, please stop laughing," gasped Grissom after several minutes. "I can't take much more of this."  
  
Sara sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Oh my god, I haven't laughed like that in ages," she confessed.  
  
"Neither have I," agreed Grissom. He leant over to take her hand and placed a soft kiss in her palm. "Thank you," he whispered, looking at her in adoration.  
  
"For what?" she asked innocently.  
  
Grissom reached out to cup her cheek. "For giving me the best night of my life," he answered, pulling her close for a tender kiss.  
  
"You're welcome," whispered Sara, against his lips. After a few moments she pulled back and smiled at him. "This is how we got into trouble last time remember?" she said with a grin. "Maybe we should go back inside and join the others."  
  
"In a while," replied Grissom, leaning back on the cushions against the wall. "I'm not ready to share you with the others yet," he said, smiling at her.  
  
"Oh I see how it is," grinned Sara. "Gil does not share well with the other children," she said raising an eyebrow at him.  
  
"That's right," he replied, lunging forward to grab her and place her so that she was sitting between his legs, her head resting on his chest. "And you're mine," he said softly in her ear.  
  
"Yes I am," she replied, hugging the arms that held her tightly.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	9. It started in low Then it started to gro...

A/N from Xanti: Apologies for the delay of this last chapter, it has been sitting on my to do list for well over a month.  
  
Huge thanks to Ash for agreeing to co-write this story with me, it wouldn't have come out half as good without her. Thanks also to everyone who gave us feedback. It was only the second story that either of us had written and to get such a great response, was very encouraging. We had so much fun writing it and we're glad you got a few giggles along the way as well.  
  
A/N from Ash: I have to say that I must thank Xanti for being a wonderful (if not slow at moments) partner. I couldn't have written this story with anyone else, and I doubt that I could have. I am truly thankful for our friendship, however freaky at times. ;-) Hope that everyone enjoys the story, and thanks to ALL the support that we have gotten.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 9: It started in low. Then it started to grow.  
  
They sat in silence, savoring the closeness of each other. Sara idly stroked the strong hands that held her and Grissom occasionally nuzzled her neck, placing lingering kisses on her soft skin.  
  
"I could definitely get used to this," sighed Sara, as Grissom kissed her collarbone once more.  
  
"That's good," replied Grissom. "Because I plan on making a habit of it," he said, pulling her closer to his chest.  
  
Sara smiled to herself, almost purring with contentment. "Hey, can I ask you a question?" she asked, playing with the butterfly that hung on her necklace.  
  
"You just did," Grissom replied with a grin.  
  
"Griss, you know what I meant!" Sara said, smacking his thigh playfully.  
  
"Ow, that hurt," he pouted.  
  
"Oh, poor baby," Sara teased. "Anyway, I was just wondering if there was any particular reason that you chose a butterfly?" she asked.  
  
Grissom was silent as thought about his answer. There were so many reasons why a butterfly had seemed the perfect choice but he didn't want to bore Sara to death with a hundred and one different quotes.  
  
"Griss?" Sara questioned, misunderstanding his silence.  
  
"Sorry," replied Grissom, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "I was just gathering my thoughts," he said. "There is a Native American legend that says, 'If you have a secret wish, capture a butterfly and whisper your wish to it. Since butterflies cannot speak, your secret is ever safe in their keeping. Release the butterfly, and it will carry your wish to the Great Spirit, who alone knows the thoughts of butterflies. By setting the butterfly free, you are helping to restore the balance of nature, and your wish will surely be granted'," he explained.  
  
"That's beautiful," whispered Sara.  
  
"Yes it is," agreed Grissom quietly. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that...you're my secret wish Sara. Although it defies scientific reason, I had somehow hoped that by giving you the butterfly, my wish would be granted."  
  
Sara released herself from Grissom arms and turned herself around to look at him. Her eyes sparkled with emotion and she could see that he was similarly affected. She leant forward and gave him a tender kiss. "Both of our wishes have been granted," she whispered against his lips.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Man I'm not doing this," said Nick vehemently. "I've already been dressed in the stupidest costume tonight."  
  
"Awww c'mon Nicky, you can't back out now," said Catherine. "We all agreed to play no matter what the dare was."  
  
"Yeah I know," agreed Nick reluctantly. "But this is just so embarrassing."  
  
They were playing a variation on poker, dreamed up by Greg. At the start of the game each person had written several dares on pieces of paper and had put them in a pile in the middle of the circle. The winner of each hand of poker got to draw a dare and select the person to perform it. Greg had just won the last hand and had picked Nick as the unlucky performer.  
  
"Well," said Warrick, ever the voice of reason. "The sooner you start, the sooner it will be over."  
  
"Okay," shrugged Nick. "I guess you're not gonna let me get out of this so here I go."  
  
Standing up he reached over to pick up a Lindsay's tutu and pulled it up his legs, over his jeans until it sat snugly on his waist. "Damn, lucky this elastic has a bit of stretch in it," he grumbled.  
  
This comment only served to trigger uproarious laughter from the other three. The sight of Nick standing in the middle of the room with his muscle shirt covering his upper body and Lindsay's tutu covering his bottom half, was more than they could bear.  
  
In between gasps of laughter, Catherine managed to force out a few words. "Okay Nick, we're ready when you are," she spluttered before collapsing into another fit of the giggles.  
  
Nick shot them all a dark look, his gaze coming to rest on the face of the youngest man in the room. "I'll never forgive you for this Greg," he growled. With that, he began to dance around the room in his re-enactment of 'The Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy'.  
  
The laughter of the others went up a notch as Nick began to prance around the room on his tiptoes. Very soon all three were laughing so hard they had tears running down their faces.  
  
Despite his original embarrassment, Nick couldn't help but grin at the sight of his friends. In normal circumstances he was quite happy to let someone else act the clown, but these three were like family and if he couldn't ballet dance in front of them then who could he. Egged on by their laughter he added in a couple of pirouettes, almost tripping himself over in the process. 'Thank goodness I didn't have to wear slippers as well,' he thought to himself.  
  
"Dude," gasped Warrick. "You gotta stop before my sides split," holding his stomach as emphasis.  
  
"No," said Nick grinning evilly. "This is your punishment for making me get up here in the first place," he said, jumping from one leg to the other.  
  
"Stop...please," puffed Greg. "I'm about to pee my pants."  
  
"Well seeing as you put it that way," chuckled Nick, walking back to his position in the circle and sitting down.  
  
"Aren't you gonna take the skirt off," asked Catherine, wiping the tears from her face.  
  
"No," replied Nick patting the fabric of the tutu. "I've become rather attached to it."  
  
Sensing that Catherine was about to launch into another round of laughter, Warrick seized the moment. "Alright," he said. "That was the last dare, so lets just deal one hand and everyone has to show what they got dealt. The person with the winning hand has to go outside to get the lovebirds. Everyone in?"  
  
"Yep," agreed Nick. "But I have one stipulation, whoever goes outside, has to wear the tutu. Okay?"  
  
Everyone reluctantly agreed and Warrick dealt five cards to each person. "Ok Cat, show me what ya got," said Warrick.  
  
"Babe you already know what I got," replied Catherine with a suggestive wink.  
  
"Jeez, can you two give it a break and concentrate on the game for a change," interrupted Greg.  
  
Catherine turned to look at him. "Why? You jealous Greg?" she asked with a smile.  
  
"No," he replied. "I'm just a little anxious to know whether I have to run out into the garden, in a tutu and interrupt the most intimidating man I know, while he's in the middle of...uh...personal business," he blurted.  
  
"Ahhh, the Grissomnoia raises it's ugly head once more," said Nick in mock seriousness.  
  
Greg threw Nick an unamused look and turned back to Catherine. "Can we?" he asked, gesturing at her cards.  
  
"Okay, calm down," she smirked. "I have a pair of fives," she said proudly.  
  
"Well that's more than what I have," followed Nick. "I've got a hand full of nothing," he said, laying his cards on the floor. "I guess it's someone else's turn to wear this baby," he grinned, standing to remove the frilly skirt.  
  
"Damn," mumbled Greg. "I know it's gonna be me...I have a pair of twos," he said putting them down on the floor. "And, a pair of eights," he sighed, showing the rest of his cards. He made a reach for the tutu but was stopped by Warrick's hand on his arm.  
  
"Must be your lucky day Greggo," smiled the older man ruefully. "Three of a kind."  
  
Greg let out a huge sigh of relief and passed the tutu to Warrick. "Sorry," he said, although deep down he wasn't sorry at all.  
  
"Whoa," said Nick. "What are the chances of that, three of you getting decent cards on the first deal."  
  
"Yeah," agreed Catherine. "Anyone would think it was scripted," she said with a shrug.  
  
"Okay, here goes nothing," announced Warrick, standing and pulling on the tutu.  
  
"Damn War, you look hot," said Nick, grinning broadly.  
  
Warrick gave a small curtesy in reply, setting off a whole new set of giggles.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Grissom and Sara were still cocooned together on the rug. Their voices murmured in quiet conversation as they shared a closeness that had long been missing.  
  
Suddenly a figure came into view. "Uh Griss," said Sara uncertainly. "Are you seeing what I am?" she asked.  
  
Grissom began to chuckle, his body shaking against Sara. "Well if you're seeing Warrick dressed in a tutu, then yes I am," he replied.  
  
As Warrick walked closer, they could see that he looked somewhat uncomfortable. The fact that he was still dressed in his brown furry suit only added to the hilarity of the situation. Without the antlers and red nose, he now resembled more of a brown bear than a reindeer. In fact, with the addition of the tutu he could almost pass for a dancing bear at the circus.  
  
"Hey War," Sara greeted him. "Nice skirt," she said, flashing him a smile.  
  
"Yeah," added Grissom. "It really accentuates your manly figure," he quipped. "You lose a bet?"  
  
"Ironically enough, I won," Warrick replied with a wry smile. "Anyway my reward, as it were, was to come out here in drag and let you know we are about to wrap things up inside," he explained.  
  
"That time already huh" replied Sara. "We'll be right in," she said with a wink.  
  
Warrick smiled back at her. "Take your time," he said, turning to walk back to the house.  
  
"Now that's an image that won't leave my mind for a while," smiled Grissom, as they watched Warrick's bear-like figure walk away from them, the tiny skirt on his waist, billowing in the gentle breeze.  
  
"Sounds like they had fun," giggled Sara.  
  
"Yeah," agreed Grissom. "But not as much fun as we did," he whispered, placing another gentle kiss on her neck.  
  
Sara turned so that she could see the man that had captured her heart so long ago. "I know," she agreed. "I don't want this night to end," she admitted quietly.  
  
Grissom reached out to caress her cheek. "Although tonight will surely end," he said gently. "It is only the beginning for us."  
  
Sara felt herself melt at his words and she leant forward to steal another kiss, her heart about to explode with happiness. "Let's go join the others," she said.  
  
THE END  
  
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End file.
